Two teens have invented an ultra-hygenic door handle that is coated with titanium dioxide, a mineral that is effective at killing germs — especially when exposed to the ultra-violet spectrum of natural light, according to an article on the Good website.
To ensure their handle would have a steady supply of titanium dioxide-activating UV light, the handle is lit from within.
The door handle is a glass cylinder with a UV-emitting LED at one end, which illuminates the entire handle, and hits the titanium dioxide with enough light to reportedly kill 99.8 percent of bacteria that comes in contact with its surface.
The handle is powered by a small gearbox that captures the energy generated each time the door opens and closes, transforming that into the electricity used to light the LED.
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